Jon Stewart Apologizes For Calling Truman a War Criminal

On Thursday, Comedy Central's Jon Stewart apologized for earlier in the week calling former President Harry Truman a war criminal.

As NewsBusters previously reported, Stewart during Tuesday's interview with Foundation for the Defense of Democracies' Clifford May said that Truman should have done an offshore warning of the atomic bomb in 1945 before dropping it on Hiroshima, and that not doing so was criminal.

Apparently, Stewart has rethought his position, and said the following on Thursday's "Daily Show" (video embedded below the fold with transcript, vulgarity warning):

The other night we had on Cliff May. He was on, we were discussing torture, back and forth, very spirited discussion, very enjoyable. And I may have mentioned during the discussion we were having that Harry Truman was a war criminal. And right after saying it, I thought to myself that was dumb. And it was dumb. Stupid in fact. So I shouldn't have said that, and I did. So I say right now, no, I don't believe that to be the case. The atomic bomb, a very complicated decision in the context of a horrific war, and I walk that back because it was in my estimation a stupid thing to say. Which, by the way, as it was coming out of your mouth, you ever do that, where you're saying something, and as it's coming out you're like, "What the f**k, nyah?" And it just sat in there for a couple of days, just sitting going, "No, no, he wasn't, and you should really say that out loud on the show." So I am, right now, and, man, ew. Sorry. And, Warren G. Harding was a [bleeped, unintelligible].

Nicely done, Jon. If only more on your side of the aisle would apologize after making such disgraceful statements.

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